The Clash of the Titans: Insurance Companies vs. the Gun Lobby
This oughtta be entertaining, a collision between two of the country’s most powerful — and hated — interest groups. Politicians are scared shitless of the NRA and other gun-owner groups, who are determined to allow teachers to carry concealed weapons in the classroom and/or have armed guards “protecting” our schools. And what the NRA wants, the NRA gets.
OOPS. Insurance companies might not provide coverage for school districts that allow armed teachers in the classroom. Gee, what a shame. For once it’s not just hospital patients who get shat on by their insurance company.
Some insurance companies are flat-out refusing to provide coverage if a school allows teachers to carry guns. Other insurers will provide coverage, but only at a much much higher premium. For instance, how about paying an additional $5,000 a year for every teacher who’s armed? And you thought your local school district was already strapped for cash.
On top of that, the insurance industry doesn’t consider armed guards in schools to be a good risk. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, insurance companies know a thing or two about calculating risk. Jenny Emery, head of the Association of Governmental Risk Pools, said:
“I haven’t seen evidence yet that suggests people are determining that arming teachers is a recommended way to manage risk. Far from it.”
Aaarrgghh, what do they know? Insurance companies are gonna take our guns away! The insurance industry hates America.
posted by Tom Harper @ 4:40 PM
6 Comments:
Just another data point to show that people with guns are more dangerous to everyone else than people without guns.
Get yer popcorn ready, because this will be good watching.
Once they put all classrooms in a supersize Popemobile, this dilemma is moot.
It will be really a tragedy to see if they can actually raise the money through taxes, bond measures and through government for the Insurance when they can't do it for books, salaries, materials, repair, toilet paper, and simple athletic equipment.
Maybe the NRA should have the mother of all Bake Sales and Car Washes (scare away the PTA)
Erik
Seems to me like a marriage made in heaven... insurance and guns. Everybody makes money... sell more guns, higher insurance premiums. Wouldn't be surprised to find a few insurance companies heavily vested in gun manufacturing.
Jerry: Some of us didn't need any more data points, and for other people there isn't enough data in the world to make them understand the obvious.
Jess: It's gonna be fun. I've got the popcorn all ready.
Randal: The bullets are coming from INSIDE the Popemobile!
Erik: It would certainly be ironic, and tragic, if a bunch of multimillion dollar school bonds start passing by a landslide, with the stipulation that the money can only be used for paying the insurance for the armed guards.
Mr. C: I'm sure there are some shrewd arrangements like this; sort of like the owners of junk food companies investing in diet supplements, and vice versa.
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